Joystick drift

In context: If you have ever experienced joystick drift, you know how annoying it can be. Joystick drift is when a controller registers input from the joystick even when it is in the neutral position. Sometimes users can fix it by recalibrating the joystick. However, if a defective mechanism if the cause, repair is often the only solution, which becomes problematic in out-of-warranty situations. Nintendo is not alone in dealing with legal troubles related to joystick drift in its JoyCons. In April, Microsoft was served a class-action lawsuit over a similar issue with Xbox One controllers. Now plaintiffs have added the Xbox Elite Series 2 to the lawsuit. The amendment alleges that the controllers suffer from drift caused by faulty potentiometers. Video Games Chronicle notes, "This component contains a known design flaw related to a grease-like lubricant, which causes resistive material scraped off a curved track to cause unwanted movement without input from the user." … [Read more...] about Microsoft controller drift lawsuit adds Xbox Elite controllers to the class action

TL;DR: Sony might have been feeling pretty smug as it watched rivals Nintendo and Microsoft hit with lawsuits over their controllers’ drifting issues, but the company is now facing similar problems with some of its PlayStation 5 DualSense units—and getting them repaired isn't the easiest process. The DualSense has been singled out as one of the PlayStation 5’s best elements, but some users have reported their controllers are displaying drift—analog sticks detecting phantom inputs. It can make the likes of platformers and first-person shooters almost unplayable. One PS5 owner wrote on Reddit that the drift problem began less than ten days after receiving the console. They tried everything to fix it, including turning Bluetooth off and on, power cycling the console, resetting the controller, and charging it overnight. But nothing worked. Another Redditor posted a 15-second video of controller drift affecting Destiny 2. The person isn’t touching the sticks, yet the game is … [Read more...] about Increasing reports of PlayStation 5 controller drift are cause of concern

A hot potato: Sony's PS5 DualSense drift problems could become more widespread than first feared. A new teardown on the controller examines what's causing the issue, which can appear after just "417 hours" of use. iFixit, best known for its teardowns of the latest smartphones, took apart a PS5 DualSense to discover what's been causing the drift problems that have led to a class-action lawsuit against Sony. It says the controller uses "off-the-shelf joystick hardware with a long history of predictable, preventable issues." A company called Alps manufactures the DualSense's joystick modules, which are also found in controllers such as the PS4's DualShock 4, the Xbox One and Xbox Elite controller, and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. It's worth noting that iFixit says Alps "probably aren't the villain of this story." Alps' website states that the potentiometer—a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider—used in the … [Read more...] about PS5 DualSense controller teardown reveals factors behind drift issues

What just happened? Here's something that can be filed under 'unsurprising.' Following reports that some of Sony's PS5 DualSense controllers were suffering similar drift issues that have plagued the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons and Microsoft's Xbox One controllers, the company is now facing a class action. Last week brought reports that some PS5 owners had found their DualSense controllers were displaying drift—analog sticks detecting phantom inputs. It quickly led to Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith (CSK&D) asking anyone with affected controllers to contact the law firm through an online form . As reported by Eurogamer , the DualSense class-action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of a plaintiff called Lmarc Turner, of Virginia, along with other US DualSense owners. The complaint was filed on February 12 against Sony Corporation of America and Sony Interactive Entertainment. It claims the … [Read more...] about Class-action lawsuit filed against Sony over DualSense controller drift issues